For the week of October 29 - November 4, 2003

Bus barn contracts OK’d

Total comes in $525,000 over budget

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By GREG MOORE
Express Staff Writer

The Blaine County School District Board of Trustees last week unanimously approved $2.25 million in bids for construction of a new bus maintenance facility on the Wood River High School property.

The bids were considerably higher than the project’s budget of $1.7 million. The approval authorizes construction manager Benetton Construction to sign up the contractors, but District Treasurer Mike Chatterton said the district plans to redesign the plans and renegotiate some of the contracts to bring the price down. However, he said. "there’s no way we’re going to get it built for $1.7 million."

Finding a location for the 9,300-square-foot facility had been a matter of controversy for more than two years. Local residents had opposed its construction both at its originally proposed site in Croy Canyon and at its current site in Woodside. Woodside residents had contended that the facility should be built in a light industrial area, not next to a residential area.

Due to those considerations, and to obtain a conditional-use permit from the city of Hailey, the school district added more landscaping and berms to the site plan, as well as more soundproofing and equipment to contain bus exhaust.

In a press release, the district stated that those changes added to the project’s cost. However, it stated, buying land away from the school would have added $500,000 to $1 million to the accepted bid package.

The project will be built on the southeast side of the school property. In addition to containing spaces for 30 buses, the building will contain technology classrooms, and student and food services.

 

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